The Denver Nuggets climbed the peak of the NBA and won the 2023 championship after beating the Miami Heat in five games. With only four losses in the playoffs, this team went through opponents with ease and is poised to repeat as champions.
The Nuggets were not even the favorites to win it all, but with the supporting cast around Nikola Jokic, they proved to the world that they are one of the best teams in the NBA.
4 reasons why the Denver Nuggets will repeat in the 2023-24 NBA season
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#1, Well-rested team
There were no players from the Denver Nuggets competing in the 2023 FIBA World Cup and they will come to training camp with a healthy lineup. Jamal Murray preferred not to play for Canada and Nikola Jokic opted not to suit up for Serbia. Aaron Gordon is arguably a good forward to compete against the FIBA bigs, along with Michael Porter Jr., but neither represented Team USA.
Injuries were the main problem for the Nuggets in the playoffs during the years prior to winning the championship. Availability is the best contribution for each player on this team, and the Nuggets are poised to have another deep run.
#2, Young core is intact
Nikola Jokic is just 28 years old and Jamal Murray is 26. Four other players from the team's core are set to suit up for the Nuggets until the 2024-25 season and will have no distractions from contract extensions.
The Denver Nuggets' oldest player is Reggie Jackson at 33, while Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is only 30. The Nuggets are going to be title contenders for at least the next three years with the way they locked their contracts.
#3, Chemistry will just get better
The 2022-23 season was the year that the Denver Nuggets came in healthy and avoided the injury bug until the playoffs. This was the first year that their players could gel with each other, after injuries to Michael Porter Jr. and Jamal Murray in the past seasons.
Having another year playing together will just make their bond even tighter, and this team's chemistry will just continue to get better along the way.
#4. Nikola Jokic
Having two MVPs in his closet and a supporting cast that brings out the best in him, Nikola Jokic is considered one of the best players in the world today. His unselfishness is what puts him in the tier of LeBron James and above Joel Embiid and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Another championship for Jokic will cement his legacy as one of the best centers in NBA history, joining the likes of Hakeem Olajuwon and David Robinson in the number of championships won.
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